The production of mini antibodies against human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor using murine scFv combinatorial library

To develop a phage display of single-chain antibodies (scFv), fractions of total cell DNA and RNA were obtained from splenocytes of naive mice. The DNA fragments encoding variable regions of light and heavy immunoglobulin chains were amplified and isolated using primers specific to the conservative regions of these genes. The construction of the library was based on the principle of stochastic combining of the DNA fragments encoding the light and heavy antibody chains with the DNA linker, whose structure corresponded to the (Gly4Ser)3 sequence. The scFv library was constructed using the E. coli TG1 strain and the phagemid vector pHEN1. The repertoire of the library exceeded 5 x 10(7) independent recombinant clones. The clones producing antibodies to the granulocyte colony-stimulating human factor were isolated. The affinity constants of the resulting scFv were in the range of 2 x 10(4) to 1.8 x 10(7) M-1.     

噬菌体抗体库的构建及抗乳腺癌细胞单链抗体的筛选

构建抗人乳腺癌细胞MCF 7的噬菌体单链抗体库 ,从中筛选MCF 7细胞特异性单链抗体。用MCF-7细胞免疫BALB C小鼠 ,取脾脏 ,提取总RNA ,用RT-PCR技术扩增小鼠抗体重链 (V_H)和轻链 (V_L)可变区基因 ,经重叠PCR(SOE-PCR) ,在体外将V_H和V_{L连接成单链抗体 (scFv)基因 ,并克隆到噬菌粒载体pCANTAB5E中 ,电转化至大肠杆菌TG1,经辅助噬菌体超感染 ,构建噬菌体单链抗体库。从该抗体库中筛选特异性识别MCF-7细胞的噬菌体单链抗体 ,将表面展示单链抗体的单克隆噬菌体转化大肠杆菌TOP10进行可溶性表达。成功地构建了库容为12×10⁶ 的抗MCF-7乳腺癌细胞的单链抗体库 ,初步筛选到了与MCF 7细胞特异性结合的scFv,Westernblot检测表明 ,在大肠杆菌TOP10中实现了单链抗体可溶性表达}     

Toward selection of internalizing antibodies from phage libraries

Antibodies which bind cell surface receptors in a manner whereby they are endocytosed are useful molecules for the delivery of drugs, toxins, or DNA into the cytosol of mammalian cells for therapeutic applications. Traditionally, internalizing antibodies have been identified by screening hybridomas. For this work, we studied a human scFv (C6.5) which binds ErbB2 to determine the feasibility of directly selecting internalizing antibodies from phage libraries and to identify the most efficient display format. Using wild-type C6.5 scFv displayed monovalently on a phagemid, we demonstrate that anti-ErbB2 phage antibodies can undergo receptor-mediated endocytosis. Using affinity mutants and dimeric diabodies of C6.5 displayed as either single copies on a phagemid or multiple copies on phage, we define the role of affinity, valency, and display format on phage endocytosis and identify the factors that lead to the greatest enrichment for internalization. Phage displaying bivalent diabodies or multiple copies of scFv were more efficiently endocytosed than phage displaying monomeric scFv and recovery of infectious phage was increased by preincubation of cells with chloroquine. Measurement of phage recovery from within the cytosol as a function of applied phage titer indicates that it is possible to select for endocytosable antibodies, even at the low concentrations that would exist for a single phage antibody member in a library of 10(9).     

The influence of antibody fragment format on phage display based affinity maturation of IgG

Today, most approved therapeutic antibodies are provided as immunoglobulin G (IgG), whereas small recombinant antibody formats are required for in vitro antibody generation and engineering during drug development. Particularly, single chain (sc) antibody fragments like scFv or scFab are well suited for phage display and bacterial expression, but some have been found to lose affinity during conversion into IgG.

In this study, we compared the influence of the antibody format on affinity maturation of the CD30-specific scFv antibody fragment SH313-F9, with the overall objective being improvement of the IgG. The variable genes of SH313-F9 were randomly mutated and then cloned into libraries encoding different recombinant antibody formats, including scFv, Fab, scFabΔC, and FabΔC. All tested antibody formats except Fab allowed functional phage display of the parental antibody SH313-F9, and the corresponding mutated antibody gene libraries allowed isolation of candidates with enhanced CD30 binding. Moreover, scFv and scFabΔC antibody variants retained improved antigen binding after subcloning into the single gene encoded IgG-like formats scFv-Fc or scIgG, but lost affinity after conversion into IgGs. Only affinity maturation using the Fab-like FabΔC format, which does not contain the carboxy terminal cysteines, allowed successful selection of molecules with improved binding that was retained after conversion to IgG. Thus, affinity maturation of IgGs is dependent on the antibody format employed for selection and screening. In this study, only FabΔC resulted in the efficient selection of IgG candidates with higher affinity by combination of Fab-like conformation and improved phage display compared with Fab.     

The Production of Miniantibodies Against Human Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Using the Murine scFv Combinatory Library

To develop a phage display of single-chain antibodies (scFv), fractions of total cell DNA and RNA were obtained from splenocytes of naive mice. The DNA fragments encoding variable regions of light and heavy immunoglobulin chains were amplified and isolated using primers specific to the conservative regions of these genes. The construction of the library was based on the principle of stochastic combining the DNA fragments encoding the light and heavy antibody chains with the DNA linker, whose structure corresponded to the (Gly₄Ser)₃ sequence. The scFv library was constructed using the E. coli TG1 strain and the phagemid vector pHEN1. The repertoire of the library exceeded 5 × 10⁷ independent recombinant clones. The clones producing antibodies to human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor were isolated. The affinity constants of the resulting scFv were in the range of 2 × 10⁴ to 1.8 × 10⁷ M^–1.     

抗松材线虫纤维素酶单链抗体库的构建及筛选

构建鼠源性松材线虫纤维素酶（Bursaphelenchus xylophilus cellulase, BXC）的噬菌体单链抗体库,从中筛选特异性BXC的单链抗体。以BXC为抗原免疫BALB/C小鼠,从脾脏提取总RNA,用RT-PCR技术扩增小鼠抗体重链（V_H）和轻链(V_L)可变区基因。经重叠PCR(SOE-PCR)在体外将V_H和V_L连接成单链抗体(scFv)基因,并克隆到噬菌粒载体pCANTAB5E中,电转化至大肠杆菌TG1,经辅助噬菌体超感染,成功构建了库容为5×10⁴的Anti-BXC单链抗体库,并从该抗体库中初步筛选到了特异性识别BXC的噬菌体单链抗体scFv。将表面展示单链抗体的单克隆噬菌体转化大肠杆菌HB2151进行可溶性表达,SDS-PAGE及Western blot分析结果显示,可溶性scFv获得表达,且与BXC具有结合活性,为松材线虫的检验检疫以及病理学研究奠定了基础。     

The influence of antibody fragment format on phage display based affinity maturation of IgG

Today, most approved therapeutic antibodies are provided as immunoglobulin G (IgG), whereas small recombinant antibody formats are required for in vitro antibody generation and engineering during drug development. Particularly, single chain (sc) antibody fragments like scFv or scFab are well suited for phage display and bacterial expression, but some have been found to lose affinity during conversion into IgG.   In this study, we compared the influence of the antibody format on affinity maturation of the CD30-specific scFv antibody fragment SH313-F9, with the overall objective being improvement of the IgG. The variable genes of SH313-F9 were randomly mutated and then cloned into libraries encoding different recombinant antibody formats, including scFv, Fab, scFabΔC, and FabΔC. All tested antibody formats except Fab allowed functional phage display of the parental antibody SH313-F9, and the corresponding mutated antibody gene libraries allowed isolation of candidates with enhanced CD30 binding. Moreover, scFv and scFabΔC antibody variants retained improved antigen binding after subcloning into the single gene encoded IgG-like formats scFv-Fc or scIgG, but lost affinity after conversion into IgGs. Only affinity maturation using the Fab-like FabΔC format, which does not contain the carboxy terminal cysteines, allowed successful selection of molecules with improved binding that was retained after conversion to IgG. Thus, affinity maturation of IgGs is dependent on the antibody format employed for selection and screening. In this study, only FabΔC resulted in the efficient selection of IgG candidates with higher affinity by combination of Fab-like conformation and improved phage display compared with Fab.     

An efficient method for variable region assembly in the construction of scFv phage display libraries using independent strand amplification

Phage display library technology is a common method to produce human antibodies. In this technique, the immunoglobulin variable regions are displayed in a bacteriophage in a way that each filamentous virus displays the product of a single antibody gene on its surface. From the collection of different phages, it is possible to isolate the virus that recognizes specific targets. The most common form in which to display antibody variable regions in the phage is the single chain variable fragment format (scFv), which requires assembly of the heavy and light immunoglobulin variable regions in a single gene.

In this work, we describe a simple and efficient method for the assembly of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain variable regions in a scFv format. This procedure involves a two-step reaction: (1) DNA amplification to produce the single strand form of the heavy or light chain gene required for the fusion; and (2) mixture of both single strand products followed by an assembly reaction to construct a complete scFv gene. Using this method, we produced 6-fold more scFv encoding DNA than the commonly used splicing by overlap extension PCR (SOE-PCR) approach. The scFv gene produced by this method also proved to be efficient in generating a diverse scFv phage display library. From this scFv library, we obtained phages that bound several non-related antigens, including recombinant proteins and rotavirus particles.     

An efficient method for variable region assembly in the construction of scFv phage display libraries using independent strand amplification

Phage display library technology is a common method to produce human antibodies. In this technique, the immunoglobulin variable regions are displayed in a bacteriophage in a way that each filamentous virus displays the product of a single antibody gene on its surface. From the collection of different phages, it is possible to isolate the virus that recognizes specific targets. The most common form in which to display antibody variable regions in the phage is the single chain variable fragment format (scFv), which requires assembly of the heavy and light immunoglobulin variable regions in a single gene. In this work, we describe a simple and efficient method for the assembly of immunoglobulin heavy and light chain variable regions in a scFv format. This procedure involves a two-step reaction: (1) DNA amplification to produce the single strand form of the heavy or light chain gene required for the fusion; and (2) mixture of both single strand products followed by an assembly reaction to construct a complete scFv gene. Using this method, we produced 6-fold more scFv encoding DNA than the commonly used splicing by overlap extension PCR (SOE-PCR) approach. The scFv gene produced by this method also proved to be efficient in generating a diverse scFv phage display library. From this scFv library, we obtained phages that bound several non-related antigens, including recombinant proteins and rotavirus particles.     

A high-throughput platform for population reformatting and mammalian expression of phage display libraries to enable functional screening as full-length IgG

Phage display antibody libraries are a rich resource for discovery of potential therapeutic antibodies. Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) libraries are the most common format due to the efficient display of scFv by phage particles and the ease by which soluble scFv antibodies can be expressed for high-throughput screening. Typically, a cascade of screening and triaging activities are performed, beginning with the assessment of large numbers of E. coli-expressed scFv, and progressing through additional assays with individual reformatting of the most promising scFv to full-length IgG. However, use of high-throughput screening of scFv for the discovery of full-length IgG is not ideal because of the differences between these molecules. Furthermore, the reformatting step represents a bottle neck in the process because each antibody has to be handled individually to preserve the unique VH and VL pairing. These problems could be resolved if populations of scFv could be reformatted to full-length IgG before screening without disrupting the variable region pairing. Here, we describe a novel strategy that allows the reformatting of diverse populations of scFv from phage selections to full-length IgG in a batch format. The reformatting process maintains the diversity and variable region pairing with high fidelity, and the resulted IgG pool enables high-throughput expression of IgG in mammalian cells and cell-based functional screening. The improved process led to the discovery of potent candidates that are comparable or better than those obtained by traditional methods. This strategy should also be readily applicable to Fab-based phage libraries. Our approach, Screening in Product Format (SiPF), represents a substantial improvement in the field of antibody discovery using phage display.     

Phage versus phagemid libraries for generation of human monoclonal antibodies

Non-immune (na?ve) phage antibody libraries have become an important source of antibodies for reagent, diagnostic, and therapeutic use. To date, reported na?ve libraries have been constructed in phagemid vectors as fusions to pIII, yielding primarily single copy (monovalent) display of antibody fragments. For this work, we subcloned the single chain Fv (scFv) gene repertoire from a na?ve phagemid antibody library into a true phage vector to create a multivalently displayed scFv phage library. Compared to monovalently displayed scFv, multivalent phage display resulted in improved efficiency of display as well as antibody selection. A greater number of antibodies were obtained and at earlier rounds of selection. Such increased efficiency allows the screening for binding antibodies after a single round of selection, greatly facilitating automation. Expression levels of antigen-binding scFv were also higher than from the phagemid library. In contrast, the affinities of scFv from the phage library were lower than from the phagemid library. This could be overcome by utilizing the scFv in a multivalent format, by affinity maturation, or by converting the library to monovalent display after the first round of selection.     

Selection of functional human antibodies from retroviral display libraries

Antibody library technology represents a powerful tool for the discovery and design of antibodies with high affinity and specificity for their targets. To extend the technique to the expression and selection of antibody libraries in an eukaryotic environment, we provide here a proof of concept that retroviruses can be engineered for the display and selection of variable single-chain fragment (scFv) libraries. A retroviral library displaying the repertoire obtained after a single round of selection of a human synthetic scFv phage display library on laminin was generated. For selection, antigen-bound virus was efficiently recovered by an overlay with cells permissive for infection. This approach allowed more than 10³-fold enrichment of antigen binders in a single selection cycle. After three selection cycles, several scFvs were recovered showing similar laminin-binding activities but improved expression levels in mammalian cells as compared with a laminin-specific scFv selected by the conventional phage display approach. Thus, translational problems that occur when phage-selected antibodies have to be transferred onto mammalian expression systems to exert their therapeutic potential can be avoided by the use of retroviral display libraries.     

高效构建卵清白蛋白scFv噬菌体文库及其筛选

目的:建立一种高效噬菌体文库构建方法,获得抗鸡卵清蛋白(ovalbumin,OVA)的单链抗体(scFv)噬菌体展示文库,筛选鉴定获得OVA单链抗体。方法:用OVA蛋白免疫Balb/C小鼠,选取血清抗体效价高的小鼠提取脾脏RNA,利用RT-PCR方法扩增获得小鼠重链和小鼠轻链基因。通过无缝连接酶一步将小鼠重链基因、轻链基因和linker DNA连接起来,插入噬菌体表达载体中,构建OVA scFv噬菌体展示文库。测定文库容量,对文库进行富集筛选,ELISA鉴定阳性克隆,测序后构建真核表达载体,转入Expi-CHO悬浮细胞进行真核表达,利用Western blot进行鉴定。结果:成功获得库容量为1. 2×10~7cfu的OVA scFv噬菌体展示文库,并从中筛选出8个阳性克隆,选取效价最高的2号克隆,在Expi-CHO悬浮细胞中表达获得可溶性抗体。结论:建立了一种高效构建scFv噬菌体文库的方法,筛选获得高结合活性的OVA单链抗体,并成功进行了真核表达,为OVA ELISA检测试剂盒的研制奠定了基础。     

A rapid novel strategy for screening of antibody phage libraries for production,purification, and functional characterization of amber stop codons containing single-chain antibody fragments

Phage display antibody (PDA) libraries, allows the rapid isolation and characterization of high specificity monoclonal antibodies for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, selection of positive binding clones from synthetic and semi-synthetic libraries has an inherent bias towards clones containing randomly generated amber stop codons, complicating the identification of high affinity binding antibodies. We screened Tomlinson I and J library against receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS CoV2, eight clones which showed positive binding in phage ELISA, contained one or more amber stop codons in their single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) gene sequences. The presence of amber stop codons within the antibody sequence causes the premature termination of soluble form of scFv expression in nonsuppressor Escherichia coli strain. In the present study, we have used a novel strategy that allows soluble expression of scFvs having amber stop codon in their gene sequences (without phage PIII protein fusion), in the suppressor strain. This strategy of introduction of Ochre (TAA) codon at the junction of scFv and PIII gene, speeds up the initial screening process which is critical for selecting the right scFvs for further studies. Present strategy leads to the identification of a scFv, B8 that binds specifically with nanomolar affinity toward SARS CoV 2 RBD, which otherwise lost in terms of traditional methodology.     

De novo identification of cell-type specific antibody-antigen pairs by phage display subtraction. Isolation of a human single chain antibody fragment against human keratin 14.

The aim of this study was to identify novel antibodies directed against cytosolic keratinocyte-specific antigens from a phage display antibody repertoire by using phage display subtraction. Phage display is a method of displaying foreign molecules on the surface of filamentous bacteriophage particles. It allows the interaction between two cognate molecules to be analysed through affinity selections. Recently, large repertoires of phage displayed human antibody fragments have been constructed. From such repertoires, antibodies can be obtained in vitro without the need for immunization or the hybridoma technology. A novel subtractive strategy for selecting antibodies from phage libraries was applied. Phage antibodies were selected against immobilized crude lysates of cultured human keratinocytes, the target antigens being unknown beforehand. A competing cell lysate was used to reduce retrieval of phage antibodies with specificities to commonly non-differentially expressed antigens. A monoclonal single chain fragment variable (scFv) with specificity for crude lysates of cultured human keratinocytes was identified as demonstrated by ELISA assays and immunoblotting analysis. The cognate keratinocyte antigen was shown to be keratin 14 (K14) by using immunoblotting based on 2D PAGE and a corresponding 2D PAGE protein database. In accordance with the expected tissue localization of K14, the identified scFv stained the basal layer of human epidermis by indirect immunofluorescence analysis. Starting with crude cell lysates, phage display subtraction in combination with 2D PAGE and 2D PAGE protein databases can be used to identify antibody-antigen pairs that characterize a specific cell type.     

Breast carcinoma specific antibody selection combining phage display and immunomagnetic cell sorting

To discover new specific antibodies directed against disseminated carcinoma cells in breast cancer patients, a strategy combining single-chain variable fragment (scFv) phage display and immunomagnetic cell sorting was developed. A selection model, in which ErbB2-expressing breast carcinoma SKBR3 cells are spiked into a 50-fold excess of lymphocytes, was setup. Selection conditions, optimized using the previously characterized ErbB2-specific F5 phage scFv, led to an outstanding phage enrichment yield of 25,000 after only one round. This protocol applied to human nai ve and synthetic phage display antibody libraries led to the selection, in only two rounds, of individual scFv clones (43 out of 46 tested) specific for non-epithelial carcinoma antigens expressed on SKBR3 cells. This strategy is fully applicable to metastatic cells in effusions from breast carcinoma patients and shall lead to the discovery of immunotools crucial for novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.     

An anti-leukemic single chain Fv antibody selected from a synthetic human phage antibody library

The display of human antibody repertoire on the cell surface of the filamentous bacteriophage has offered a novel strategy for selecting antibodies to a diverse range of purified targets. However, the selection of antibodies with biological functions has not yet been fully investigated. To select phage antibodies with therapeutic potential, a synthetic human single chain Fv (scFv) phage antibody library was panned on whole premyelocytic leukemia cell line (HL60). Phages binding to common receptors and undesirable phages were subtracted by incubating the library with human glioma cells. High affinity binding phages to HL60 cells were enriched by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. After the 6th round of selection, 50% of the selected phage antibodies showed significant binding to HL60 cells, whereas none of the analyzed phage antibodies bound to human pre-B cells (Nalm-6). In addition to binding, one scFv antibody inhibited HL60 cell proliferation by 90% compared to irrelevant scFv antibodies. Taken together the data demonstrate that specific scFv antibodies with biological functions can be isolated by using whole cells as affinity matrix.     

Inhibition of Cryptosporidium parvum infection of a mammalian cell culture by recombinant scFv antibodies

Two phage display antibody libraries (Tomlinson I and J) were screened against the whole oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum to select for scFv (single chain variable fragment) antibodies. Three scFv antibodies were selected that bound to C. parvum oocysts as determined by monoclonal phage ELISA. DNA sequencing revealed that clone A11 lacked the majority of its V (H) chain. Clone B10 had a stop codon in the first framework region of the V (H) chain. We changed this stop codon to Gly by site-directed mutagenesis, and designated the variant mutB10. Clone B9 had a complete scFv gene with no internal stop codons. These antibody genes were individually subcloned into the pET-20b expression vector for soluble scFv antibody production. C. parvum infectivity was determined by infection of HCT-8 tissue culture monolayers and quantified by the foci detection method. By incubating C. parvum oocysts with individual scFv antibodies for 1 h at 37 degrees C prior to infecting the HCT-8 cells with the oocyst-scFv mixture, the infectivity of C. parvum was reduced in a dose-dependant manner. At the highest soluble scFv concentration tested (4 nmol), the mean number of infectious foci was reduced by 82%, 73% and 94% for the A11, B9 and mutB10 scFv, respectively. This inhibition of oocyst infectivity was abolished when the scFvs were exposed to boiling water. The results showed that the 3 selected scFvs bound to C. parvum oocysts, and their ability to neutralize infectivity may have potential therapeutic potential against cryptosporidiosis.     

Production and characterization of monoclonal and recombinant antibodies against antimicrobial sulfamethazine

A monoclonal antibody (mab) against the antimicrobial sulfamethazine was prepared and characterized by an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IC-ELISA). Sulfamethazine in the range of 0.2 and 45 ng/ml could be determined with the mab by IC-ELISA. cDNAs encoding a variable heavy chain and variable light chain of the mab were cloned to produce recombinant antibodies using phage display technology. Following phage rescue and three rounds of panning, a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody with high sulfamethazine-binding affinity was obtained. ELISA analysis revealed that scFv antibody and parent mab showed similar, but not identical, characteristics. The IC50 value by IC-ELISA with scFv antibody was 4.8 ng/ml, compared with 1.6 ng/ml with the parent mab. Performances of the assays in the presence of milk matrix were compared; the mab-based assay was less affected than the scFv-based assay. Sixty milk samples were analyzed by mab-based IC-ELISA, and four samples were sulfamethazine positive; these results were favorably correlated with those obtained by HPLC.     

New display vector reduces biological bias for expression of antibodies in E. coli

We report the development of a novel phagemid vector, pKM19, for display of recombinant antibodies in single-chain format (scFv) on the surface of filamentous phage. This new vector improves efficacy of selection and reduces the biological bias against antibodies that can be harmful to host bacteria. It is useful for generation of large new antibody libraries, and for the subsequent maturation of antibody fragments. In comparison with commonly used plasmids, this vector is designed to have relatively low expression levels of cloned scFv antibodies due to the amber codon positioned in a sequence encoding for the PhoA leader peptide. Moreover, fusion of antibodies to the carboxy terminal part only of the gene III protein improves display of scFv on bacteriophage surface in this system. Despite the lower antibody expression, the functional test performed with a new scFv library derived from human peripheral blood lymphocytes demonstrates that specific antibodies can be easily isolated from the library, even after the second selection round. The use of the pKM19 vector for maturation of an anti-CEA antibody significantly improves the final results. In our previous work, an analogous selection through the use of a phagemid vector, with antibody expression under the control of a lacP promoter, led to isolation of anti-CEA phage antibodies with improved affinities, which were not producible in soluble form. Probably due to the toxicity for E. coli of that particular anti-CEA antibody, 70% of maturated clones contained suppressed stop codons, acquired during various selection/amplification rounds. The pKM19 plasmid facilitates an efficient maturation process, resulting in selection of antibodies with improved affinity without any stop codons.